Kulobgwa shamu kwe Jerusalema
1 She bafukidza nkololokadzi we Ziyoni
nge gole le kugwadzamoyo kwabo kungapani kene!
Kudwa kudzimu bakalashila pasi tjedza tje Iziraela mu shango,
abazokumbula tjigalo tje makumbo abo
mu zhuba le kugwadzamoyo kwabo.
2 She bakakolomola basina ngoni
magalo wose a Jakubo,
mu bushongola gwabo bapkhwanyila pasi
matizhilo e nkololokadzi we Juda,
baligila pasi mu mavu mibuso yayo
ne makulukota ayo kunobhatisa shoni.
3 Mu kugwadzamoyo kukulu balobesa
babhayani bakasima be Iziraela.
Bakabgwiliza shule luboko gwabo
gwe luji mukuswika kwe zwita zwabo,
bakathuta se bhuba le moto kuna Jakubo
kupisa tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakaupoteleka.
4 Bakalulwamisa dati labo se tjita
luboko gwabo gwe luji gwakazwilulwamisila kuposa.
Se tjita bakabulaya mmwe ne mmwe
ne bazhuzha bakasima dumbu,
bakatebulila bushongola gwabo gunonga moto
mu nshasha we nkololokadzi we Ziyoni.
5 She botjinga tjita,
bakolomola Iziraela.
Bakolomola ng'umba dzayo dzose dze bumambo,
matizhilo ayo asala ali matongo,
Bawatsha buyendasi
ne tjililo zwe nkololokadzi we Juda.
6 Bakolomola nshasha wabo se nnda we mizhambi,
bugalo gwe bushanganilo gwe mizano yakabigwa
gwakasala guli dongo.
Yahwe bazhisa bhelelo ku Ziyoni
ngekwe mizano yayo yakabigwa na bo Sabata bayo,
ngono mukugwadzika kwabo kukulu
bafupatila mambo ne mpirisiti.
7 She bakafupatila tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjabo,
bakalamba bugalo gwabo gwakayengemala.
Bakalonga mu maboko e tjita
makuma e ng'umba dzayo dza bomambo,
nsindo ukahwika mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe
se zhuba le nzano wakabigwa.
8 Yahwe bakazwimisila kusiya ali matongo
makuma e nkololokadzi we Ziyoni,
bakaitjwaya nge nsungo
abazodziba luboko gwabo mukukolomola,
bakathama makuma anotathila
ne makuma kuti zwibe mu tjililo,
zolilidzana!
9 Mikoba yayo ilele pasi,
bakapkhwanya bakavuna makwasayile ayo.
Mambo wayo ne makulukota ayo
apakati kwe zwitjaba,
akuna nlayo,
balebesambeli bayo abatowana
mbono inodwa kuna Yahwe.
10 Sholo tjena dze nkololokadzi we Ziyoni
dzigele pasi dzakati hwuu,
dzakazwilonga hwuluba mu misholo yadzo
dzakaambala jila le saka,
baanadi be Jerusalema
bakatshinatila misholo yabo pasi.
11 Mesho angu ashakadziwa ngolila,
ndakadzipikana mukati kwangu,
Moyo wangu unolashigwa pasi ngekwe
golomodzo le bathu basingake bakazwiyita tjimwe,
bana ne ngawana banotimbama
ku mabala e matengeselo e nzi nkulu.
12 Banolilila bomayi beti,
“Tjiwunga ne nkumbi we zhambi zwingayi?”
Betimbama se nlume wakakubala
mu dzizila dze nzi nkulu,
se matjilo abo etebugwa mu maboko a bommeyabo.
13 Ndingaleba nditini nge kuko wali?
Ndingakufanidzanya ngeni wali
iwe nkololokadzi we Jerusalema?
Ndingati unofanana neni wali
kuti ndikunyaladze kene iwe mwanadi,
nkololokadzi we Ziyoni?
Ngoti kolomogwa kuko kukulu se gungwa,
apa ndiani ungakubgwiliza mu tjimo tjekutanga wali?
14 Balebesambeli babo bakabonelambeli nge kuko
mbono dze manyepkhwa ne butjebeli,
abazodusila jinyo lilo patjena,
kubgwiliza kubhudilila kuko.
Koga matama abakakubudza
manyepkhwa kakale anolasha.
15 Bose banopinda ne zila banokulobela phande
bekulinga ngokaabala kakale bezunguzila misholo yabo
nkolololokadzi we Jerusalema:
“Apa ndiwo nzi nkulu wakabe udang'wa,
bubuya gwakapelela,
ne kushatha kwe shango yose kene?”
16 Zwita zwizo zose zokugongobola,
zokulinga zwilobanya meno azo
zwiti, “Tankolomola!
Ileli ndilo zhuba latagala takalindila
taliwana, talibona!”
17 Yahwe bakathama tjabakabe balongolosa kutjithama,
bashingikadza dama labo labakaleba kale ntolo.
Bakupitulila kutjena basina ngoni,
bakathama kuti zwita zwishathe mukukolomoka kuko,
bakakudza simba le zwita zwizo.
18 Lilila kuna She
iwe nkololokadzi we Ziyoni.
Mishodzi yenyu ngaiwunge se gwizi siku ne sikati,
usinyaluluke, usiyite kuti mishodzi iyo ime.
19 Milika, longa guwo busiku
ha balindi be busiku betangisa,
tebulila zwipa moyo uwo se vula mbeli kwa She!
Milidzila maboko awo ku bali,
ngekwe matjilo e bana babo,
ibo bakanengetela nge zhala,
pakati kwe zila imwe ne imwe.
20 Lingani imwi Yahwe mubone!
Apa ndiani wamakatongo bhata saikoku kene?
Apa bakadzi baje bana babo kene?
Ibo bana babanotjengeta kene?
Apa bapirisiti ne balebesambeli babulawe
mu bugalo gwakayengemala gwa She kene?
21 Mu hwuluba ye dzizila
kulele bahwola ne batjetjana,
baanadi bangu ne bazhuzha bangu
bakabulawa nge thumo,
mu zhuba le kugwadzamoyo kwenyu
makababulaya, mubabhaya musina ngoni.
22 “Se ungati makabadanila zhuba le nzano wakabigwa
kutja kwangu ku mu mbizho dzose
kakale mu zhuba le kugwadzamoyo kwa Yahwe
akuna ungasiya kene katjila,
ibabo bandakabe ndida kakale ndakabalela,
tjita tjangu tjabalobesa.”
The Lord Was Like an Enemy
The Prophet Speaks:
1 The Lord was angry!
So he disgraced Zion
though it was Israel's pride
and his own place of rest.
In his anger he threw Zion down
from heaven to earth.
2 The Lord had no mercy!
He destroyed the homes
of Jacob's descendants.
In his anger he tore down
every walled city in Judah;
he toppled the nation
together with its leaders,
leaving them in shame.
3 The Lord was so furiously angry
that he wiped out
the whole army of Israel
by not supporting them
when the enemy attacked.
He was like a raging fire
that swallowed up
the descendants of Jacob.
4 He attacked like an enemy
with a bow and arrows,
killing our loved ones.
He has burned to the ground
the homes on Mount Zion.
5 The Lord was like an enemy!
He left Israel in ruins
with its palaces
and fortresses destroyed,
and with everyone in Judah
moaning and weeping.
6 He shattered his temple
like a hut in a garden;
he completely wiped out
his meeting place,
and did away with festivals
and Sabbaths
in the city of Zion.
In his fierce anger he rejected
our king and priests.
7 The Lord abandoned his altar
and his temple;
he let Zion's enemies
capture her fortresses.
Noisy shouts were heard
from the temple,
as if it were a time
of celebration.
8 The Lord had decided
to tear down the walls of Zion
stone by stone.
So he started destroying
and did not stop
until walls and fortresses
mourned and trembled.
9 Zion's gates have fallen
facedown on the ground;
the bars that locked the gates
are smashed to pieces.
Her king and royal family
are prisoners
in foreign lands.
Her priests don't teach,
and her prophets don't have
a message from the Lord.
10 Zion's leaders are silent.
They just sit on the ground,
tossing dirt on their heads
and wearing sackcloth.
Her young women can do nothing
but stare at the ground.
11 My eyes are red from crying,
my stomach is in knots,
and I feel sick all over.
My people are being wiped out,
and children lie helpless
in the streets of the city.
12 A child begs its mother
for food and drink,
then blacks out
like a wounded soldier
lying in the street.
The child slowly dies
in its mother's arms.
13 Zion, how can I comfort you?
How great is your pain?
Lovely city of Jerusalem,
how can I heal your wounds,
gaping as wide as the sea?
14 Your prophets deceived you
with false visions
and lying messages—
they should have warned you
to leave your sins
and be saved from disaster.
15 Those who pass by
shake their heads and sneer
as they make fun and shout,
“What a lovely city you were,
the happiest on earth,
but look at you now!”
16 Zion, your enemies curse you
and snarl like wild animals,
while shouting,
“This is the day
we've waited for!
At last, we've got you!”
17 The Lord has done everything
that he had planned
and threatened long ago.
He destroyed you without mercy
and let your enemies boast
about their powerful forces.
18 Zion, deep in your heart
you cried out to the Lord.
Now let your tears overflow
your walls day and night.
Don't ever lose hope
or let your tears stop.
19 Get up and pray for help
all through the night.
Pour out your feelings
to the Lord,
as you would pour water
out of a jug.
Beg him to save your people,
who are starving to death
at every street crossing.
Jerusalem Speaks:
20 Think about it, Lord!
Have you ever been this cruel
to anyone before?
Is it right for mothers
to eat their children,
or for priests and prophets
to be killed in your temple?
21 My people, both young and old,
lie dead in the streets.
Because you were angry,
my young men and women
were brutally slaughtered.
22 When you were angry, Lord,
you invited my enemies
like guests for a party.
No one survived that day;
enemies killed my children,
my own little ones.